


Fiction in the Space Between

by machka



Category: Bandom: MWK, Real Person Fiction, Tulsa Gangstas
Genre: Community: schmoop_bingo, M/M, Prompt Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-09-06
Updated: 2010-09-06
Packaged: 2017-10-20 05:17:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,935
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/209139
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/machka/pseuds/machka
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>'The storytelling gift is innate: one has it or one doesn't. But style is at least partly a learned thing: one refines it by looking and listening and reading and practice - by work.' - Donna Tartt</p><p>"Surely the job of fiction is to actually tell the truth. It's a paradox that's at the heart of any kind of storytelling." <i>~ Jeremy Northam</i></p>
            </blockquote>





	Fiction in the Space Between

**Author's Note:**

> Co-authored by [cebhfhionnmabon](http://cebhfhionnmabon.livejournal.com/profile).
> 
> Written for the [schmoop_bingo](http://schmoop-bingo.livejournal.com/) challenge, using the prompt "Kidfic - Bedtime." Title from a line in Tracy Chapman's song, "Telling Stories."
> 
> In the "Hazards of Working with Real People" category: Mr. Tiemann has an adopted sister named Caroline, but his family is rightfully protective of her. Therefore, we are characterizing her as an OFC here, even though she really does exist. Somewhere. XD
> 
> Disclaimer: The following is a work of fiction. The events described therein are not intended to represent actual events. No libel or defamation is intended in posting said fictitious work.
> 
> In other words, it's not real, because we made it all up.

Andy chewed on the end of his pen, his eyes glazing over, straying from the words he was trying to read. He heard another peal of girlish giggling and laughter from the other room and rolled his eyes.

God, couldn't they see that he was trying to do his fucking homework? Why did Lexi have to have all of her friends over _today,_ of all days? He had to get this stupid fucking essay done, or he would have to take finals.

He couldn't concentrate here.

A slow smile slipped over his face as he gathered his things, shoving them into his backpack. He snagged the cordless phone off the charger and dialed Neal's number, waiting for him to pick up.

"Caroline, seriously now!" Neal barked, exasperated. "It's time for bed! Mom said eight o'clock!"

Caroline smiled brightly up at her stepbrother, fighting to suppress her giggles as she pretended not to understand him.

Neal ran his fingers roughly through his hair, casting a despairing glance over at the stack of books he should be reading for music theory right now. Dammit, he was gonna be fucked if he didn't finish that thesis paper...

He set his jaw and picked his sister up, propping her on his hip. "Look, I know you know what I'm saying. You need to lay down and go to sleep. I have homework I have to do, okay? I'm gonna get in trouble with my teachers if I don't, all right? Now please, sweetheart..." he murmured, carrying her back into her pastel-stricken bedroom. " _Please,_ lie down, and go to sleep now, okay?"

He pulled the covers up to Caroline's chin and tucked her in firmly, kissing her forehead. "Night-night, baby," he whispered, smiling gently as she obediently closed her eyes. Turning away, he flicked off her light, closing the door part-way, and headed back to the living room, just in time to catch his phone vibrating on the table.

Andy.

A slow smile spread across his face as he picked up the call. "Hey," he murmured into the phone. "What's up, Skibby?"

Andy smiled, hearing Neal's voice. "Please tell me that it's quiet at your house."

"Uh oh, what's goin' on?" Neal grinned, the warmth in his voice evident on the line.

Andy held the phone out for Neal to hear the girly laughter, or squeals, or whatever-the-hell it was. He brought the phone back to his ear. "Lexi decided to have her friends over. I can't concentrate," he said softly. "You up for some company?"

"Yeah," Neal said softly, settling onto the couch with a low sigh. "Just put Carrie back t'bed for the second time t'night..." he continued, rubbing the back of his neck. "I have an assload of music theory t'plow through, but..." His voice softened, growing infinitely tender. "I've missed you."

Andy smiled and swallowed, glancing toward the kitchen. "I'm trying to get this essay for English comp done...miss you too," he said, just as softly. "I'll be over in a few, okay?"

"Sounds good," Neal whispered. "See ya in a bit."

Andy had his backpack fully re-packed and on his shoulder, and was heading out the door, before the phone was cold back on its cradle. It was a Friday night. His parents had gone to dinner...and really, it was none of Lexi's friends' business of where he was going, so he just...left.

Slipping into his car, he let out a calming breath, and pulled out of the driveway.

Before he knew it, Andy was pulling into Neal's driveway, parking behind the other boy's car. Grinning, Andy quickly got out of the car, heading for the front door. He knocked once and opened it.

Neal glanced up with a smile as Andy let himself in. "Hey," he murmured, purposely keeping his voice low and soft, and patted the couch beside him. "...Y'wanna soda, or a beer, or somethin'?"

Andy shook his head and collapsed beside Neal. "Nah, nothing right now. Got to get rid of shrieking-girl-induced headache first."

"Damn, that bad? Who all did she have over?" Neal asked, cocking his head. He artfully draped his arm across the back of the sofa, and gently threaded his fingers into Andy's hair, massaging the other boy's scalp.

Andy tipped his head back, moaning softly at the feel of Neal's fingers massaging his throbbing head. "The usual pack of the Banshee Blonde Brigade."

"Aw, dude, I'm sorry..." Neal murmured, smiling softly as Andy relaxed into his touch. "...So...what homework were y'workin' on, on a Friday night, man?"

Andy turned his head to face Neal, his eyes barely open. "That English comp paper I was telling you about...the ten-page paper on something that has influenced my life, and has pushed me to where I am now."

"Oh, yeah..." Neal replied, nodding slowly as his fingers continued to move in Andy's hair. "What topic did y'pick?"

Andy grinned. "Do you really have to ask?" he laughed softly. "Music, and learning to play the guitar."

"...The guitar? Not th'piano?" Neal teased him gently, knowing what a sore spot that still was with Andy's mom.

Andy groaned and shook his head. "Yeah." He glanced at Neal's books, scattered across the coffee table. "What are you working on?"

"Research for m'music theory class. I have no idea why I thought that a comparison of scales and modes was a good idea..."

Andy raised his eyebrows at Neal. "Ahh...have no idea." He reached out and let his fingers trail down Neal's slightly stubbled jaw line. "You wanna take a break?"

Neal's lips parted slightly as a soft sigh slipped out. "...What did y'have in mind, Skibby?"

Andy slowly -- carefully -- straddled Neal's lap, cupping Neal's face in his hands. He leaned in, kissing Neal gently, his tongue darting out to brush over Neal's bottom lip.

"...Oh..." Neal breathed, his hands sliding slowly up Andy's thighs to mold over his hip bones. "...That's a great idea, actually..."

Andy shifted slightly, rocking down against Neal, moving closer to him as he deepened the kiss. "Mmm... I thought so," he whispered, between breaths.

Neal smiled against Andy's lips as he wrapped his arms around the other boy's waist, pulling him in tighter. "...You always have the best ideas, Skibby..." he murmured, letting Andy take control.

Andy slipped his hands up Neal's chest, feeling his heart racing under the thin fabric, and he grinned, loving that he did that to Neal. "Good thing - can't leave you to make up your mind on anything. Might take too long," he teased.

"Can't help it that I'm cautious...it's in my nature," Neal whispered, shivering at Andy's touch.

Andy nodded. "Cautious is good, but not needed right now... You said Caroline was asleep, right..."

"Said I put her back t'bed - for th'second time...whether she's asleep or not, though..." Neal replied softly, arching up into Andy's touch.

Andy shivered slightly into Neal's arms, moving in for another kiss. "Miss you...sucks not having you to ditch school with anymore..." he whispered. "Haf'ta actually go to class... The teachers are amazed by my almost-perfect attendance so far this year..."

"Becomin' a model student, huh..." Neal kissed Andy back, slow and soft. "You're a quick learner, Andy..."

Andy moaned quietly into Neal's mouth. "I've had a great teacher," he whispered.

Neal whimpered faintly, running his hands up Andy's back. "...Flatterer..." he whispered, kissing a soft trail along Andy's jaw to his ear.

Andy shivered again and pressed more into Neal. "Next weekend, I've got the house to myself..." he whispered. "Come and stay with me."

"God, that's so temptin'..." Neal groaned, shifting beneath Andy as his pants got way too tight for him to think straight...

Andy grinned, and rocked his hips down into Neal. "You...me...in bed... " he whispered, his fingertips grazing the soft skin above the waistband of Neal's jeans.

"Fuck..." Neal breathed out, nipping lightly at Andy's throat, as a shudder went down his spine. "...Fuckin' horn-dog, swear t'God..."

Andy grinned into Neal's neck as he leaned down, kissing him softly. "Are you complaining?"

"God, no..." Neal whispered, swallowing thickly as he slid his hands under Andy's shirt, palming the skin of Andy's back.

Andy moaned and slowly kissed his way up Neal's neck, his hips rocking gently, creating the perfect amount of friction. "Oh, God..." he whispered, kissing along Neal's jaw, nipping at his prickly, stubbled skin.

"Andy..." Neal groaned under his breath, tightening his arms around the other boy. Leaning back into the couch cushions, Neal closed his eyes, shivering and moaning softly. His body responded almost of its own volition, arching up sharply to Andy's, seeking more.

Andy gripped Neal's shoulders tightly as he rocked down harder, a ragged "Jesus..." slipping from his mouth. He leaned down, kissing Neal hard, putting all the desire rushing through his body into that kiss, hoping that he could feel it too.

Neal's fingernails dug into Andy's skin as he dragged his hands down Andy's back to grip his ass. Oh, yeah, Neal could feel it, all right...

"...Neaw?" A soft, high-pitched voice cut through the fog spreading in Neal's brain, and he pulled away from Andy's mouth with a gasp for air, turning his head quickly to the side.

"...Carrie! You're s'posed t'be in bed, sweetheart..." Neal groaned, his voice hoarse and strained, and his breaths still short.

"I can't sweep," the young girl replied, studying the boys on the couch with dark, solemn eyes. "C'n I haf a dwink?"

Andy quickly slipped off of Neal's lap, grabbing a book from his bag and putting it in his lap, trying to quell his hard-on. His heart was racing as he swallowed hard. He didn't look up, knowing that they were busted, and the first chance Caroline had, she'd be blabbing what she'd seen.

Neal swallowed audibly and stood very carefully, giving his leg a shake to adjust himself without making it too obvious. Thank the Gods he'd worn his black sweatpants tonight, so the wet spot that Andy'd coaxed out of him wasn't glaringly apparent...

"C'mon, sweetheart," Neal murmured, ruffling Caroline's hair gently. "Let's go get you a drink."

He walked with her to the kitchen, getting her favorite cup out of the cabinet.

"Neaw?"

He flinched visibly, looking back at her over his shoulder as he filled her glass from the tap. "Oh, God, here we go..." he thought to himself.

"Why was Andy in yowah lap?" she asked, her face reflecting only curiosity.

Neal swallowed hard again, facing her slowly as the gears turned in his head. "...I was cold, baby," he fumbled out, flushing bright red as the words passed his lips. Dear God, he wished he still had blood left for his brain...made it easier to come up with _plausible_ excuses...

"...Was Andy cowd too?" Caroline asked, the sympathy in her eyes almost comical. "Cuz yowah aw-ways warm, neaw..." She paused a moment, and cocked her head thoughtfully. "Why di'nt you use da bwankie?"

"Cuz it was all the way on th'other side of the room, baby," Neal murmured, pressing the cup into her hand. Steering her gently out of the kitchen, he walked her down the hallway toward her bedroom, yet again.

"...Oooooohhhh," she replied, nodding her head sagely. "Dat makes sense..."

Andy shoved his book back into his bag, and pulled out his notebook. He'd at least try and pretend to get something accomplished, so he didn't get bitched out too much if Caroline blabbed. He started to scribble away, just writing off the top of his head, mixed with a bunch of bullshiting.

Neal smiled softly, ruffling her dark hair. "Into bed with you, baby," he murmured, the corners of his eyes crinkling as she climbed in and took small, repeated sips from her cup, stretching it out as long as she could.

When she felt she could no longer delay it any further, Caroline held the cup out to her older brother and widened her eyes as far as they would go. "...Neaw, can you wead me a stowry?"

Andy turned the page as he continued to write. Six more pages to go...

"Which one, darlin'?" Neal asked, glancing through her stack of Golden Books.

"Doan'wan' any of does," Caroline replied. "I want one of yowah stowies."

Neal sighed softly, and crouched down beside her bed, bracing his forearms on the edge of the mattress. "Um...hmm...once upon a time..."

"No, Neaw!" Caroline interrupted impatiently. "It's not a weeuh stowy 'less yowah wayin' down too!"

Andy put the pen down and rubbed out the cramp in his hand, looking down at what he had written so far. He wanted to rip it out and crumple it up, but it was only a rough draft, so he just kept going. He wondered how long it would be before Neal came back out.

Neal buried his face against his forearms, stifling a sound of frustration. "Okay. I'll lay down - for a little while. You need t'get to sleep, Carrie..." He straightened slowly as she shifted over to the wall, smiling up at him expectantly; and he gingerly lowered himself to her bed, trying his best to stretch out without falling off.

"Okay, so...once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess..." he began, and paused, grinning softly as she curled up against his side, laying her head on his chest. "Do you know what her name was?"

Andy couldn't write anymore, so he put the book down and stood up, tiptoeing back to Caroline's room to see if Neal needed help. He heard Neal speaking and smiled, realizing what he was doing.

"No..." Caroline said softly, tipping her head back to look up into Neal's face.

"Her name was Caroline, too! Isn't that cool?" Neal replied, brushing her bangs out of her eyes. "And Princess Caroline was strong and smart and beautiful, but for some stupid reason, all the boys seemed t'think she needed t'be protected. She told them, time after time, 'I can take care of myself!', but no one would listen. So one day, Princess Caroline went into the woods t'look for some treasure...and she met a dragon!"

Caroline's eyes got huge. "Oh no, Neaw! Dwagons are bad!"

Neal shook his head with a smile. "Nope, not this one! It was a girl dragon, and since Princess Caroline didn't try to hurt her, and the girl dragon had never had a friend, the dragon and Princess Caroline started hangin' out in th'woods."

Andy smiled softly as he listened to Neal's made-up story. He didn't get why people thought Neal was such a bad-ass. He was really a big teddy bear. He grinned and kept listening to Neal.

Caroline burrowed closer to Neal, her eyelids growing heavier. Smiling tenderly, Neal dropped his voice softer and lower, lulling his little sister to sleep.

"So, one day, Prince Selfimportant decided he was gonna follow Princess Caroline out into th'woods, cuz every day she was disappearin', y'know, and her folks were worried...and Prince Selfimportant was all kissin' up to King Inchargeofitall, cuz he wanted t'marry Princess Caroline...anyway...th'prince follows her out to th'woods, and sees her there, playin' Scrabble with th'girl dragon... An' he gives this gigantic Tarzan yell, right? All, 'aaaaahahahaahahaaaaah' and runs at th'dragon with his sword drawn, cuz he was gonna save th'princess and shi--things...and Princess Caroline sticks her foot out, right, and totally trips th'dude... An' he falls down, an' his sword goes flyin', and dude falls down in th'middle of th'Scrabble board, pissi--makin' the girl dragon all mad, an' all... So she stomps on th'guy - makes him flat as a pancake! - an' then she peels him off th'bottom of her foot and rolls him up like a tortilla, and eats th'fu--jerk...and Princess Caroline grabs his sword an' gets really good at usin' it..."

Andy had to step away from the door to keep from laughing too loud and waking Caroline up. Oh God, seriously - Neal telling stories was _amazing._

Neal let his voice trail off, looking down at the girl curled on his chest, taking the deep, even breaths of sleep. Holding his own breath, Neal carefully shifted out from under her and laid her back onto the pillows, leaning over to kiss her forehead. "Sweet dreams, Princess," he whispered, and backed out of the room, flicking off the light.

Neal paused in the hallway, flushing bright pink when he saw Andy standing there, trying not to laugh. "...What?" he whispered hoarsely, frowning.

Andy looked at Neal and shook his head. "I want you to tell me bedtime stories, because dude -- that was fucking brilliant."

Neal stepped closer, cupping Andy's cheeks lightly between his hands. "Dude, if I'm ever in bed with you, and want you t'sleep? Shoot me," he murmured, and drew Andy in for a slow, lingering kiss.

Andy smirked and moved Neal down the hallway toward his bedroom. "Wanna go get in bed now, and see if I want a story?"

Neal grinned slowly, letting Andy tug him along. "M'kay..." He pulled the door shut behind them, and tugged Andy against him, burying his face into Andy's hair. "Once upon a time, there was a prince by the name of Andy..."

Andy leaned back against the door and looked at Neal, his hands fisting into Neal's shirt to pull him in for a kiss. "Lame," he whispered against Neal's lips.

"...Y'didn't let me finish," Neal whispered back, running his hands down Andy's neck to palm his chest. "...A prince by th'name of Andy, who was really good at swallowin' swords..."


End file.
